小説を読みながら、語彙を増やしましょう。
夏目漱石の小説『坊っちゃん』の原文と毛利八十太郎が英訳した “Botchan (Master Darling)” を併せて見ていきます。
【あらすじ】
赤シャツ(教頭)に誘われて海釣りにやってきた主人公は、青嶋に関する野だいこ(画学教師)の思わせ振りな発言に苛立ちます。
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"Let's quit talking about Madonna, ho, ho, ho," and Red Shirt emitted a spooky laugh.
"That's all right. Nobody's around," remarked Clown as he glanced at me, and turning his face to other direction significantly, smiled devilishly. I felt sickened.
As it was none of my business whether it was a Madonna or a kodanna (young master), they let pose there any old way, but it was vulgar to feign assurance that one's subject is in no danger of being understood so long as others did not know the subject. Clown claims himself as a Yedo kid. I thought that the person called Madonna was no other than a favorite geisha of Red Shirt. I should smile at the idea of his gazing at his tootsy-wootsy standing beneath a pine tree. It would be better if Clown would make an oil painting of the scene and exhibit it for the public.
"This will be about the best place." So saying the boatman stopped rowing the boat and dropped an anchor.
"How deep is it?" asked Red Shirt, and was told about six fathoms.
"Hard to fish sea-breams in six fathoms," said Red Shirt as he dropped a line into the water. The old sport appeared to expect to fetch some bream. Bravo!
"It wouldn't be hard for you. Besides it is calm," Clown fawningly remarked, and he too dropped a line. The line had only a tiny bit of lead that looked like a weight. It had no float. To fish without a float seemed as nearly reasonable as to measure the heat without a thermometer, which was something impossible for me. So I looked on. They then told me to start, and asked me if I had any line. I told them I had more than I could use, but that I had no float.
devilishly 邪悪に
kodanna 小旦那
vulgar 低俗な、卑しい
feign …のふりをする
tootsy-wootsy かわいこちゃん、ねえちゃん
fathom 尋(ひろ、水深の単位)
sea-bream タイ科・シマガツオ科の食用魚(原作では鯛)
fawningly へつらって、卑屈に
float うき
夏目漱石による原文は
こちら。
*** 慣用句を覚えよう ***
Hand(手)‐2
go [be] hand in hand
同一歩調をとる、(二つのことが)関連して起こる
hand in glove
hand and glove
親密で、協力して、ぐるになって
hand over [on] heart
片手を胸の上に置いて、心底から、誠実に、神かけて
hands down
わけなく、楽々と(勝つ)、明らかに、文句なしに
hand to hand
接近して、肉薄して
someone has only got one pair of hands
手いっぱいである、手は2本しかない(からそんなに仕事はできない)
have [take] a hand in [at] ...
…に仲間入りする、…に関係する
have one's hands full
手いっぱいである、多忙をきわめている
hold one's hand
手を控える、堪忍してやる
hold someone's hand
人の手を取る、人を助ける、励ます、支持する
join hands
手を握り合う、結婚する、提携する
【参考】
▽
青空文庫